


Magpies

by Dragonsong3



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Bi Dan, Biphobia, Bullying, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Love at First Sight, M/M, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Tragic Romance, hope you guys like tragic endings, is that a spoiler?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4074808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonsong3/pseuds/Dragonsong3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One for sorrow, Two for mirth.<br/>Three for a wedding, Four for death...<br/>--</p><p>Dan Howell had no choice but to return to his Highschool for his A-levels, but now that his friends have all gone, he's more alone than ever before.<br/>With having to deal with the crippling loneliness, the crushing weight of work and being surrounded by people who want him dead, Dan wondered if he'd even make it to his 17th Birthday.</p><p>Until a transfer student named Phil Lester joins him and, with his sweet kindness and friendship, shines a needed light of Dan's life. However, he then realises that there are some secrets are meant to stay hidden- for the sake of both Dan and Phil's lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

September’s morning-sky was capped with a blanket of thick clouds. The early-autumn breeze was quiet. It was sharp as a needle and shook shivers down people’s spines. A single magpie cawed from above, calling for its kin. The golden-red leaves were teased off the end of branches and fluttered down to the ground in a spiral-motion.

One leaf flew off its course to the ground and collided into a scrawny 17-year old boy who was walking down the path of the over-grown park.

The boy flinched when something hit him, but then shook the leaf away when he realised what it was.

 

‘ _Fucking leaves..’_ He thought with a growl, stuffing his hands into his tight jean pockets.

 

The school-bag on his back was starting to make his shoulders ache, despite the bag having only a few books in it. The burn kept reminding him of where he was going; where he has to suffer through another 2 years at; where optimism and self-esteem goes to die in a flaming pit of mood-swinging teenagers and teachers who just want their pay-check at the end of the month.

He took a slow, deep breath and focused on the littered, gravely pavement at his feet.

 

“This is the reason why you shouldn’t procrastinate, Dan.” He murmured to himself, kicking away a fort of dead leaves, “It was too late to register a place in any good college in time, and the nearest schools that included sixth-forms are miles away _and_ require grades that you couldn’t get in GCSE, not to mention there are no Apprenticeships in any field that are remotely interesting. So now all your friends have gone to college while you’re still stuck here.”

 

Dan glanced up ahead and knew that it will only take a few minutes now until he reached to the end of the park, down a quiet road of druggies and chavs and then finally at _Wolfstone Highschool_.

 

‘ _Oh Jesus Christ...’_

 

\---

 

By the time Dan got to his school, the corridors were packed with people: a small group of Year 7s were exchanging tall tales of what they got up to in the Summer; some people were standing together as they all stared and text through their phones, occasionally showing a text message or a picture to their friends and laughing; although most people were striding up and down the long corridor to find where they should be.

With an anxious gulp, Dan kept his head down and quickly walked to his locker, ignoring the stares of anybody who looked at him.

 

‘ _Just get to the locker. Just get to the locker. Just get to the_ fucking _locker.’_ He repeated to himself, forcing himself to stare straight ahead.

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed a gang of boys, one or two of them in his own form of 12RM, happily made camp only a few feet away from Dan’s locker.

Dan swore that they did this on purpose, and almost considered ditching his locker completely and run the other way.

 

‘ _No, it’s been almost three months since I last saw them.’_ He reminded himself, calming down his harsh heartbeat, ‘ _Maybe they’ve matured, or decided that I’m not worth it anymore..’_

 

Trying his best to relax his posture, Dan silently skulked towards his locker. They hadn't noticed him yet. Instead, they seemed more interested in the girls in their short, black skirts and whispered obscene things to their friends.

 

“So fucking creepy..” Dan mumbled, far too loudly than he intended. His heart almost stopped when those five boys all glared at him, obviously showing discontent for being called out on their behaviour.

He froze still and a cold block of ice hit his stomach, almost as if he believed that if he didn’t move, then they would go away.

 

“You're one to talk, you piece of shit.” The tallest boy said, staring down at Dan, who was pressing his back against his locker as hard as he could.

His throat tightened in fear and his heart rammed against his chest. He wanted to say something, anything, to get back at him.

 

‘ _You haven't happened to find your real Father yet, have you Richard?’_

 

‘ _Has your mum found a job that’s not in the prostitution business yet?'_

 

But Dan kept silent. Despite the temptation, he knew that talking will probably get him into more trouble.

 

“If they boys, you’d be getting boners over all of them.” Richard spat, contempt blazing in his copper eyes. Dan stared down at the ground, a wave of hot embarrassment shook him as his eyes began to prick.

This would be the part where one of Dan’s friends would come and stand up for him. He almost waited to hear Louise's, or PJ’s, or Chris’ voice, but a stinging pain his heart reminded him that he was alone this time.

 

He was more alone than he ever felt in his life.

 

“Stay out of our way, faggot.” Richard hissed one last time in Dan’s face. There were too many witnesses around to him up, but Dan knew from experience that Rich was more than happy to wait.

 

Before Dan could say anything in reply, Richard and his gang left, proudly strutting down the corridor.

 

“I’m Bisexual, actually..” Dan corrected them under his shaking breath. He felt a wave of anger when, even after so long, they still assumed he was gay- Yes, he liked boys, but he also liked girls just as much... His leg shook with the urge to kick the locker, but causing a scene wouldn't help. He stood there, waiting for his frustration to melt.

 

It all started in Year 10, when his friends were talking about celebrities. Dan let out that he found Gerard Way, the lead vocalist in one of his favourite bands- My Chemical Romance- very attractive. He knew that they wouldn’t tell a soul about his secret crush, but what he didn’t count on was other people eavesdropping on their conversation. Of course the eavesdropper, out of every person in the entire school, just had to be one of Richard Lyons' friends.

Even if nobody was listening to their conversation, people would have found out one way or another. Dan knew that- Life had a funny way of ruining itself, he figured.

By the end of the school day, the entire school knew about Dan’s attraction to boys. Despite he and his friends telling as many people as possible the truth, nothing stopped the rumour from spreading like wildfire.

 

‘ _I miss you guys so much..’_ He sighed silently, wondering how Louise, PJ and Chris were doing at college. Dan opened his locker and shoved the bought books he didn't need for the next two periods. He didn’t want to waste the little energy that he had. ‘ _I just wish I wasn’t so lonely now...’_

 

\---

 

Dan was one of the last people to arrive at his form room. It was loud with chatter, and yet there was a tired atmosphere, like nobody was really happy about being back at school.

He recognised most of the people from his old form, back in Year 11, although there were a few newer people from different forms before.

Taking care not to attract too much attention, Dan quietly shuffled to the very back corner, to the empty table next to the window. He threw his bag under the table and sat down, staring out at the school field. The grass had a yellow tinge from the lack of rain.

 

‘ _Having a drought in England just seems strange..’_ Dan thought, ‘ _It’s probably going to rain today, judging by those clouds..’_

 

“Hey, excuse me?”

 

A voice shook Dan away from his thoughts. He turned his head and saw a tall boy smiling down at him. Surprise kept Dan mute, and the new boy blinked in confusion.

“...Is it alright if I sit next to you? There aren’t any other places to sit down...”

 

“Umm... Yeah, of course...” Dan replied at last, scratching his neck to cover his awkwardness.

The new boy had silky, dark-blue hair, with a straight fringe that partly covered his left, silvery eye. His complexion was pale compared to his dark hair, he had sharp cheekbones and small dimples along with a subtle nose crinkle when he smiled. He wasn’t skinny or scrawny like Dan was, but instead had a bit of adorably soft pudge on him.

His shirt neatly ironed and tucked into his black jeans, and his black and scarlet tie was neatly hanging from his shirt collar.

 

“Thanks,” The boy said, sitting down beside Dan with his black-and-grey bag resting against the table leg. “Oh, sorry. You don’t even know who I am.” He gave a soft laugh and his bright eyes sparked. “My name’s Phil; Phil Lester. I’m kind of new to this school, since I decided to take my A-Levels here.”

 

“I’m Dan.” Dan introduced himself, giving Phil a small smile. “Although, to be honest, this really isn’t as good a school as Ofsted says. Most of the teachers are nice but... A lot of the students can be dicks.”

 

“In what way?” Phil asked, tipping his head to the side slightly.

 

“Well, it’s just that...” Dan glanced at the wall, not knowing how to continue his sentence, “Hopefully you won’t find out for yourself, but some people can be downright horrible...”

 

A flash of anxiety flickered in Phil’s blue eyes, but it disappeared too quickly for Dan to notice. Instead, Dan focused on Phil’s tie. 6th-Formers weren’t required to wear proper school uniform, so it was unlikely that he bought a tie just for his new school, and Dan recognised that his Red-and-black striped tie was part of a colour scheme for one particular school,

 

‘ _He was from Oakleaf Academy,’_ Dan realised _, ‘That’s one of the best schools in the Country, even I wanted to go to for A-Levels, it’s waiting-list is always too long. Why would he leave there for this Shit-hole?’_

 

“...Dan? Dan, are you okay?”

 

Phil’s voice interrupted Dan’s train of thought and made him forget what he was thinking. He blinked until he was fully awake again and glanced back at Phil, who looked slightly concerned, but still held a small smile.

 

“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something.” Dan said, shaking his head as if to say that it didn’t matter.

 

‘ _He has such a sweet smile, though..’_

 

"How long have you been at this school?" Phil asked, making his voice heard over the loudness in the room.

 

"Since Year 7," Dan answered, "School was alright back then, but then our GCSEs came along and suddenly there was so much more work to do. I don't want to know what A-Levels are going to be like.."

 

Phil nodded as Dan spoke; he understood what Dan was saying, which made him feel comforted. It was nice to speak to someone who didn't see you as a freak.

"So what made you leave your old school for this place?" Dan asked, his curiosity speaking on behalf of him.

 

Phil kept silent for a second and he turned his gaze away from Dan's eyes, he flushed a light pink and fidgeted with the cuff of his shirt,

"I... I kind of got expelled...” He murmured quietly, his voice tight and wavy. "... It's a really long story..."

 

Dan opened his mouth to say something, but a loud bell rang in the classroom, indicating that form time was over, and students picked up their bags and all began to leave the classroom.

Dan and Phil both stood up at the same time and hung their bags over their shoulders,

 

“What’s your first lesson?” Phil asked, changing the subject as he walked beside Dan as they left the room together.

 

“Drama. Double period.” Dan answered, unable to hide his excitement in his voice. Dan has always loved studying Drama. “The teachers say I'm really good at it. What about you?”

 

“Biology; I enjoy learning about living animals the most.” Phil purred, before turning a corner down the busy corridor. “I’ll see you later, Dan!”

 

He turned his head around his shoulder one last time and grinned, while waving his hand in good-bye.

 

“Bye Phil.” Dan said, although he knew that Phil wouldn’t be able to hear him through the noise. Phil’s kind, innocent smile stayed in his mind as he continued walking, and without even realising, a smile began to grow on his own face.

 

A smile that stayed there until the end of school...

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Jeez, this Chapter was pretty depressing...'
> 
> Yeah get used to it

The final bell of the school day rang especially loud in Dan’s ears, as it meant that he could leave at last. The rain clouds were still hanging in the sky, but made room for small patches of blue sky by the time Dan quickly got outside and began walking across the school field.

 

‘ _It better not rain on me..’_ He thought irritably, ‘ _Although knowing my luck, it probably will...’_

 

He glanced around the field and inwardly sighed in relief as he saw that not many people were walking across the field with him, and it was fortunate that none of those people were Richard.

“He must been forced to take the bus back home.” Dan figured, knowing that most students’ parents didn’t want them walking home in such a notoriously bad area, “Hopefully that means I won’t be forced into a fight tonight.”

 

Dan felt a minute pang in his chest when he realised that Phil would probably be taking the bus to and from school as well, which meant he probably wouldn’t see him again until the next morning.

Perhaps with Phil’s company, Dan won’t be as alone as he thought.

 

“Until he hears what people have to say about me.” Dan sighed, staring down at the dry ground with his hand stuffed into his black jean pockets. His skin pricked uneasily at the thought of having yet another bully making his life a misery. Although while Phil didn’t _look_ like the horrible-type, but Dan didn’t want to take any chances with, what could be, a potential friendship.

 

\-----

 

“I’m home!”

 

Dan shut the door behind him. He kicked off his black trainers before his mother could yell at him and ran upstairs into his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and chucked his bag beside his desk, flinching when his arm jerked painfully.

 

"I need to get a better bag..." Dan growled to himself, carefully rubbing his shoulders. He sat himself down at the desk in his room, opened up his laptop and felt a short vibration coming from his jean pocket.

He pulled out his phone and smiled when he read the message he received from Louise.

**'Hi Dan, how was your first day back at school? :) '**

 

Dan thought for a few moments, wondering what to reply with. He then carefully typed out,

 

**_'It was boring, mostly. I had 2 free periods which I spent doing nothing. How was college?'_ **

 

He placed his phone done on the desk and waited for a reply. He was tempted to say something about Richard still being a problem, but he didn't want to give Louise more trouble than she probably already has, and especially since there's not much his friends could do about the whole issue now. His phone vibrated again,

 

**'It was interesting, to say the least- It's strange being the new people at college. Speaking of new people, I bet the new Year 7s at your school are going to be fun to be with.'**

Dan was quick to reply,

**_'I didn't see many of them lot today, but there is a new kid in my form. His name's Phil and he transferred from Oakleaf of all places... But he's not stuck-up like the other students are at that school, he's actually surprisingly nice. Tell the others that I say Hi.'_** He decided to leave out the fact that Phil got expelled, figuring that information like that wouldn't want to be spread around, especially when Dan wasn't sure how he got expelled.

****

_'Probably for something he did wrong, like wearing the wrong socks or something.'_ Dan thought, knowing full well how strict that school could be for such a well-known school. 'Phil didn't want to talk about it though- How bad could it possibly have been?'

****

Did Phil hurt somebody? Did he set fire to a room? Did he get caught doing drugs? But Phil was kind and sweet, surely it wasn't anything too bad, right?

 

Dan shook the questions out of his head; He'd find out sooner or later. ** _He_** lifted the top of his laptop open, the bright screen lighting up the dull room. Any reminders to do work vanished in Dan's mind, and lazily wasted time on the internet as if there was nothing better to do.

 

He was unsure how much time had passed until he heard his mother call his name,

 

"Dan, dinner's nearly ready!"

 

Dan groaned under his breath. Despite barely eating that day, his stomach felt tight like it was completely full. He grudgingly got up from his desk and slowly made his way downstairs, trying hard to make up a lie in his head to get out of eating again.

He stood at the door of the kitchen and looked down at the floor when his mother smiled sweetly at him.

 

"I wish Dad could make it to dinner once in my lifetime..." Dan murmured purposely slow. He hovered by the kitchen door and clenched as the strong scent of food made his throat tighten.

 

"I know you do, darling, but you know why he works late for us." His mother sighed, her smile falling slightly. She kept silent for a second before looking up at her son. "Anyway, aren't you going to sit down?"

 

"Actually, mum...” He said, spelling out each syllable for as long as he could without looking weird. He fumbled with the zip of his black jacket, "I-I have to go, like right now."

 

"Where to?" His mother questioned, although Dan was already putting his shoes back on at the front door. He quickly opened the door and turned his head behind his shoulder.

 

“Nowhere. I’m just meeting a friend.” He lied, internally cursing himself as he slammed the door. The sky was starting to darken and, once again, was covered in an even thicker layer of dark grey clouds.

Dan’s mother must have seen through his lie. He only spent the last 3 months complaining about how all his friends are leaving.

 

He had no friends to be with...

 

\---

 

He stalked around the park near his house, with his arms folded tightly across his chest, his shoulders slumped and limp and his head faced down.

Only a few people were out, and most of them were too far away to distract or take notice of Dan.

He kicked an empty energy-drink can and tried to ignore the depressingly empty feeling in his chest.

 

A sudden force shoved Dan to the ground. He smacked his head against the ground. His chest felt tight and winded from the impact.

Dan tried to push himself back up, but a heavy weight stood on him and disabled him from moving away. He looked up through his blurred vision and felt his heart and stomach sink when he was Rich standing above him, with one foot treading on Dan's shoulder and a sickly smug smile.

 

"Fuck off, Richard." Dan snarled, his mood speaking before his mind, but then received a swift kick against the hurting side of his head. The left side of his face burnt like fire and he felt a warm trickle of blood run down it.

 

"Watch your attitude, Freak." Richard growled, his deep voice sounded rusty in his throat. Dan shook with fury, grinding his teeth together just to stop himself from speaking. He tried to push Rich's foot off him, but he was too weak compared to him to move him.

Richard eventually stepped off his chest, but didn't leave without kicking the side of Dan's arms like it was a ball. Dan squeaked in pain, his arm growing numb and tingly.

 

"Shame your friends aren't here now." Richard growled, before strutting away from Dan's injured body.

 

Dan slowly lifted his chest off the ground, using his better arm as a crutch. He squeezed his fist into a tight ball as he glared at Richard walking away. He always knew when to kick Daniel to the ground when he least needed it. He must have been hanging around with his _shitty friends_ with their _shitty attitudes_.

 

"I hate you... I hate you so fucking much..." His voice cracked and his vision started to blur. The emotional and physical pain was too much too overwhelming. He tightly shut his eyes as blood and tears trickled down his face.

 

Agony and despair welled up inside him, the force of the raw emotions made him shake. He wanted to scream, but only pathetic squeaks made its way out. His throat was clamped shut. His stomach pulled like he was going to be sick. His entire body quivered uncontrollably as he whipped his wet, bleeding face with his sleeve, only for his wound to sting.

 

A heavy droplet hit Dan in the head, but before he could shake it off, another his body. And another. And another, until everything around him was being drenched in the storm. Thunder roared above him and sent waves of falling rain down to the ground.

 

"I _hate_ this..." He wept through his snarl. Clenching his jaw so hard that it burnt. "I hate Richard. I hate my life. I hate _everything_!"

 

He sat in the rain, barely caring how soaked or freezing he would get.

 

_'I wouldn't care if I froze to death...'_ He thought to himself. His anger and sorrow washed off him, leaving him empty and numb _. 'Fuck this horrible Earth and everything in it...'_

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Not even the full moon was able to penetrate through the thick blanket of cloud. Rain splattered against the roads. The street lights shimmered in the puddles. Phil quickly walked through the storm with his hood over his head. He shivered from the cold, and he urged to get back home as soon as possible. Claps of thunder echoed through the eerie streets of London

 

_'Why does mum only send me out at the worst times?'_ He thought to himself, as a bag of milk continuously banged against his leg. _'When she gets home from work tonight, I'll tell her to text me_ before _it starts raining...'_

 

A flash of lightening made Phil jump. It shattered the sky like broken glass. Frightened, he scanned around, looking for shelter to wait out the storm. He sighed in relief when he saw battered, wooden bus stop just ahead. He began running towards it, but as he got closer, he could hear someone's muffled crying from inside. He slowed down, and the cry was weak and tired, as if they've been crying for a long time. He stopped at the side of the entrance, and peered inside.

It was almost completely dark, but Phil could see the shape of somebody crouched in the corner with their head hidden in their arms. They didn't see Phil as they lifted their head up wipe their face. A swift flash of lightening lit up the shelter, and Phil almost gasped when he recognised them.

 

"Dan?" Phil called out. Dan jumped when he heard his name and pressed his back against the corner. He stared up at Phil in terror, only to slump back down, like a toy without it's stuffing, when he realised it was just Phil.

 

"Dan, what's wrong?" He asked, stepping into the bus stop and sitting beside Dan. "Why are you crying?"

 

Dan kept silent, as if Phil wasn't there at all. His eyes were glassy and half-open, and he looked like each rattling breath would be his last.

 

"It... This dickhead. He pushed me over..." He whispered at last, his words sounded rusty and scathed against his throat. "... I banged my head on the pavement, and I just... I can't go home, not anymore..."

 

He slowly turned his head towards Phil, who choked on his breath when he saw the blood flowing down his face from the wide wound on the side of his forehead. The blood trickled down on to Dan's white shirt and formed a large, blotchy bloodstain on his chest. Before Phil could do or say anything, Dan turned his head away and gazed on something invisible in the distance.

 

"...I don't know what to do anymore..." He sighed, mostly to himself, "...Mum will know that I lied to her, and I don't think I can make it without them here. I just... I just _can't_ anymore..."

 

_'Who is he talking about?'_ Phil wondered, but he didn't dare ask; Dan was clearly upset and was in no mood to talk.

 

Phil's heart twisted in sympathy for Dan, the pain in his chest was too much for him to just leave Dan by himself.

 

"Why don't you come to my place?" He suggested, standing up and reached out his hand for Dan. "My parents aren't in, so nobody would know if I gave you a plaster for your head."

 

Dan blinked up at Phil, as if he couldn't hear him, but then hesitantly held on to Phil's hand and, with a gentle grip, was pulled up beside him. Dan's eyes were less glassy, and for once he was properly focused on Phil. They stood there for a brief heartbeat, before letting go of each other and making their way to Phil's house.

 

 

\---

 

"How far is it to your house?"

 

There was a minute silence before Dan spoke, and by then the storm had stopped and broken patches in the clouds made way for the moonlight, which even made Dan's dark hair shine with a silver glow.

 

"Not very far; only a few minutes now." Phil said, glancing at Dan who was staring down in to the distance. "So... Why would your mum think you lied to her?"

 

Dan opened his mouth to answer, only to close it again. He was silent for a few seconds before sighing,

 

"I said that I was going with some friends, but she knows that that isn't true..." He answered with a bow of his head, "I do _have_ friends, if that's what you're thinking. It's just... They all went to college, while I stayed here for A-levels..."

 

"So they're gone? That's terrible." Phil said quietly, his chest aching again. He bit the tip of his tongue, before speaking, "You know, if it's comforting in anyway... I know what it's like to be lonely like that..."

 

"You do?" Dan asked instantly, turning his gaze towards Phil.

 

"Yeah..." Phil said, slowly nodding his head. "You see, back when I was at Oakleaf, the friends that I had all left me because..."

 

"Because?.."

 

"- Because of a rumour...” Phil confessed, his voice brittle and low. "Well, it wasn't a rumour as such, because it was technically true, but nobody was supposed to know about it..."

 

"Oh right. Well, I won't force you to say anything." Dan shrugged, despite the curiosity that sparked in his eyes. "I won't ask what the rumour was, if you don't ask why I lied in the first place..."

 

"Fair enough, then." Phil was bursting to know, but he didn't want to share what had happened at his old school with Dan.

 

"But you know..." Dan's gaze soften when he looked at Phil. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like this."

 

"Yeah, me too." Phil smiled, he looked over Dan and realised that they were already at his house. "Anyway, we're here now."

 

-

Phil led Dan through the lush, grassy garden and used his keys to open the door. The damp scent of rain-washed flowers was strong and almost stung Phil's nose. The house was dark and empty, until Phil switched on the lights in the kitchen.

On the table was a pile of clothing that Phil was told to put away, but instead he rummaged through and pulled out a large towel.

 

"Here," Phil said, gently throwing the towel to Dan, who was still soaking wet and shivering. "You should probably dry yourself off."

 

Dan nodded his thanks, and Phil opened one of his cupboards to find a First-aid box. He clicked the box open and brought out a small, contained, zipped bag. He turned to Dan, who wasn't shivering as much, but still clutched the towel close to his chest.

 

"This might sting a little bit..." Phil warned, as he took out a disinfectant wipe out of the bag and gently wiped the blood off Dan's face.

 

Quietly hissing in pain, Dan kept still, but his grip on the towel hardened and Phil could feel his face growing warmer as he touched it.

 

_'I bet he's not used to people touching his face...'_ Phil thought, ignoring his own fast heartbeat. He pushed all his thoughts away as he carefully removed the wipe and carefully placed the pale orange plaster over the wound.

 

"There, it should get better soon." He smiled as he took a step back. Dan blinked as he dabbed at the plaster on the side of his head, checking that it was on properly. He then looked at Phil, and although he couldn't smile very well, his eyes brightened with emotion.

He opened his mouth to speak, but got distracted by the state of his shirt. His eyes widened and his gasp came out quiet and stiff.

 

"Oh God, I almost forgot about that..." He whispered, he stared up at Phil, "What do I do about my shirt? My mother will see it."

 

Phil tightened his lips in thought. How could Dan cover his shirt? Glancing around, his eye caught on a dark red-ish zipped-hoodie hanging off the back of a chair. Within a moment's thought, he picked it up and passed it to Dan.

 

"Here, you can wear this over it." He suggested, as Dan slowly placed down the towel and held the hoodie. He blinked down at it before looking back up at Phil,

 

"Should I give it back to you tomorrow?"

 

"No, it's fine. You can keep it." Phil said briskly, feeling a strange urge to give Dan something of his. "It's a big on me, but it'll fit you perfectly."

 

Dan zipped the crimson jacket up until it covered his whole chest. He moved around in it, stretching the creases flat. Satisfied with its fit, he gazed up at Phil. His cheeks were glazed with a light pink. His eyes were bright and almost brimming. They weren't glassy or half-closed; Dan looked alive.

 

"Thank you, Phil." He smiled, his voice wispy with emotion. "I appreciate it a lot."

 

"It's fine. No problem." Phil shrugged, trying to relax himself, although he was unable to keep himself from grinning back.

 

There was a silence that neither of them would break. Their soft gazes, which were filled with unspoken words, were only broken when Dan looked at the clock and sighed with disappointment.

 

"Oh no, I need to get back home." He murmured. He looked back at Phil. "My mum will assume I've been killed, or that I've been breaking into someone's house, if I don't go back soon."

 

"Oh, well... Would you like me to walk back home with you?" Phil asked, his stomach feeling as if something had gripped it. "I mean, if your mother sees me walking with you, then she'll think it was me you were hanging out with, instead of..."

 

"Knowing that I lied to her?" Dan finished with a huff from his nose. For an anxious moment, Phil thought he had offended Dan, but the spark of amusement in Dan's eyes made him relax. "If you're sure you'd like to come, then we may as well get going now."

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

The night sky was finally cleared of clouds, and only the moon and stars shone down. Dan and Phil walked beside each other down the wet, quiet pavement. Phil glanced at Dan, and pushed away his own nervousness to talk to him.

 

"What are you planning to do after your A-Levels?" Phil asked, to which Dan simply shrugged his shoulders.

 

"I'm not sure. I want to go to University and study law, though."

 

"Oh, you want to be a lawyer when you're older?"

 

"No. Well, maybe. I don't know." Dan closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know what I want to do, all I know is that whatever it is, a degree in Law will make me look good infront of my employers. What about you?"

 

"I want to be a vet when I'm older." Phil admitted, looking up into the dark sky. "Or perhaps any job that works with animals. I find them easier to deal with than people, to be honest."

 

"Yeah, no kidding." Dan slowly nodded his head. "But before I get a career like that, I want to visit Japan."

 

"Really?" Phil asked, his voice pitched with amusement. He stared at Dan with wide eyes. "So do I! It's always been a dream of mine." He Closed his eyes as he recalled his younger self being fascinated with the country. Perhaps it was the food, or maybe the culture, that made him vow to see Japan with his own eyes.

 

"I guess that's one dream we both share." Dan's eyes gleamed with child-like excitement and his smile stretched across his rounded, pale face.

 

It was the first real smile that Dan had given Phil since that morning. A small flicker fluttered in his chest. It was one of the most adorable things Phil had ever seen in his life.

 

"Yeah, I hope we both achieve it one day." Phil agreed, feeling light with his sharp heartbeat. He forced himself to shake the feeling off. "Do you have any siblings?"

 

"No, I'm an only-child." Dan said, watching a cat sprint across the quiet road and into somebody's garden. "What about you?"

 

"I have an older brother who's at Uni now." Phil said, feeling a jerk in his stomach as he spoke about his brother. "I haven't seen him in weeks but I already miss him. The next time I'll be able to see him is probably October."

 

"That's pretty shit..." Dan said, his voice soft and sympathetic. He opened his mouth to speak again, but he was distracted by a house that he stopped infront of. A low sigh escaped from him. In the corner of his eye,

 Phil saw a flash of movement in the window, but when he turned his face around there was nothing there.

 

"My mother was watching out the window." Dan growled, as if he knew what Phil was about to ask. "I swear she worried too much sometimes..."

 

He took a deep breath and turned to Phil; his annoyance faded from his eyes when he looked at him, "Anyway, thanks for helping me." He smiled, he opened his garden gate and began walking down the stoned path to his door  "I owe you, Phil. I'll see you tomorrow." As he reached for the door, he turned his head around his shoulders and gave a small wave, which Phil returned.

 

He began walking back home, but found himself unable to concentrate on his surroundings. Despite the cool night, Phil felt his skin warm up under his clothing as his mind replayed Dan's sweet smile again and again.

 

 

\---

 

 

"Hey, mum!" Dan called as entered the house, even though he knew he didn't have to say anything; his mother was waiting for him in the hallway.

 

"Where have you been all this time?" She demanded, folding her arms across her chest. "And what on Earth happened to your face?"

 

"Nothing. I just fell over and banged my head." Dan shrugged, avoiding his mother's gaze. "It's not polite to say something's wrong with somebody's face."

 

"Where did you get that jacket from?" She asked, slightly narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Dan sighed as he quickly made his way up the stairs. Half-way, he stopped and looked at his mother below.

 

"I didn't steal it." He growled, holding her stare. "Phil gave it to me as a gift- and you know who Phil is because I saw you watching us from the window. I did say I was going out with a friend."

 

He continued running up the stairs until he reached his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, Dan switched on the light and immediately took off his hoodie and his bloody shirt. He changed into the more comfortable, black shirt which was folded up on the seat of his piano. It was the same one he used every time he went to bed.

He sighed with satisfaction, relieved to finally be wearing something that didn't have his blood all over it. With a moment's hesitation, he carefully picked up his new hoodie and clutched it tightly as he sat on his bed.

 

_'It still has his scent on it...'_ Dan thought to himself. Phil's image was so engraved in his mind, it almost felt as if Phil was still beside him; smiling and laughing like he didn't have a care. Dan was stuck in his daydream until he shook his head, throwing the hoodie to the end of his bed. _'No, that's weird. Stop thinking about that- Or him, as a matter of fact.'_

 

Dan instead focused his attention on the view from his window. In the distance, he could see the bright city of London flash it's lights, but as the buildings got closer to Dan, they started to get smaller and less packed as they became the suburbs.

He stared up at the glimmering moon, and wondered if Phil was looking up at it from his own house as well.

 

"I hope he got home safe..." He murmured to himself, before realising seconds later what he was talking about. He grabbed his pillow behind him and mushed his face into the soft cotton. "I said to stop thinking about him!"

 

His groan was muffled by the pillow, and he grunted his annoyance when he lifted his face up again. Why was this happening to him?

 

"It's like some fucking Shoujo anime or some shit- Only worse because it's happening to me!" He sighed, gripping his pillow tightly. Did Phil watch anime like Dan? Would he ever watch it with Dan, perhaps?

 

_'It's impossible to get feelings like this for somebody so quickly... Isn't it?...'_

 

 


End file.
